Apparatus for shaping flat-built casings



March 9 A. o. ABBOTT, JR 1,796,181

APPARATUS FOR SHAPING FLAT BUILT CASINGS Filed Feb. 26, 1929 INVENTOR.fld/v'an 0. 19 55021, J7:

AT RNEY Patented Mar. 10, 1 931 UNITED STATES PATENT; OFFICE ADRIAN O.ABBOTT, JR., OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR TO MORGAN & WRIGHT, OF

1 DETROIT, MICHIGAN, A CORPORATION OF MICHIGAN APPARATUS iron srmrmeFLAT-BUILT CASINGS' Application filed February 26,1929. Serial No.342,875.

"i; 'This invention relates to a device for ex- 'pa-nding pulley bandsinto the form of a tire casmg.

In building automobile tire casings it is I usual to assemble theconstituent parts of the easing on'a drum having a fiat face so as toform an endless band known in the art as a pulley band. The pulley bandis shaped intothe form of a tire casing by what is known as a vacuum boxwhich consists of a circularly shaped hollow box provided withaperturesto receive a pulley band and the in- 'teriorofwhichis connectedwith a device for reducing fluid pressure. The reduction of the fluidpressure within the vacuum box results in a differential pressure actingupon the pulley band due to the atmospheric pressure which causes'thepulley band to expand into I the vacuum box and into'the shape of a tire*casing. V The apertures which are provided to" permit the readyinsertion of the pulley band into the vacuum box are of a diameterlarger than the outside diameter of the pulley band in order that thepulley band may be readily inserted. In order that the devicefor'reducing pressure within the vacuum box may be effective, it isnecessary to provide some means to effect a preliminary seal between thevacuum box and the pulley band so that a differential pressure may beset up upon the operation of the pressure reducing device. It is theobject of this invention to provide a new and improved device foreffecting the seal between a vacuum box and a pulley band insertedtherein. It is also the object of this invention to provide apreliminary sealing device for a vacuum box in the form of a ment withthe top and bottom plates of the vacuum box and so constructed that upon1 1 movement of the member into contact with the pulley band a sealbetween the pulley band and the member will be effected on one side pear.in thefollowing detailed descriptions member slidably arrangedinsealing engage-.

taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a preferred form of my invention. 1

Fig. 2 is a diagrammatical cross sectional view of the device shown inFig. 1.

Referring to the drawing the vacuum box 1 consists of the bottom plate 2and annular side 3 integral therewith to which is hingedly fixed asindicated at 4 the top plate 5 which is arranged to open and close thecasing. A suitable gasket 6 is provided between the top plate 5 and sidewall 3 to render the seal therebetween substantially air-tight. Anaperture 7 is provided in each of the bottom plate 2 and the top plate5. The vacuum box is mounted upon a suitable pedestal 8. The

pedestal 8 forms a platform upon which the will be properly centeredwith respect to the vacuum box when it is first inserted therein.Suitable pipe connections 9 lead from the interior of the vacuum box toany suitable means for reducing the pressure within the vacuum box suchas a pump.

In order to effect a preliminary seal between the vacuum box and thepulley band a slidable member or plate 10 is mounted upon the top andbottom plates 2 and 5, preferably being pivoted thereto by any suitablemeans such as pins 11. In order to maintain an air-tight seal betweenthe slidable arms 10 and the top and bottom plates 2 and 5, a gasket orsheet 12 of rubber or leather or similar material is provided betweenthe sliding members 10 and the top and bottom plates 2 and 5. Thisgasket or sheet 12 may be secured to the top and bottom plates 2 and 5in any suitable manner such as by cementing. That slidable plate whichis mounted upon the bottom plate 2 of the vacuum box is provided with anupstanding arm 13which is forked at its upper end as indicated at 14.That slidable member 10 which is mounted upon the top plate 5 isprovided with a lug 15 which extends between the tines of the fork 14:.The slidable plate 10 which is mounted upon the topplate of the vacuumbox is -'providedwith a suitable manipulating handle 16 and uponmovement of that slidable member a. corresponding .movement of 5 theslidableplate lO'mounted upon the bottom platefi-ot the vacuum-box'isefl'ected due to the-ioonnection between theitwfo slidable platesprovided by the yoke 14 and the lug While the slidable members 10 havebeen de- 10 seretd as'teing pivotally mounted upon the box they may bemountedupon the top and bottom plates of the'vacuum box irr'anyother'suitable manner so long. as theslidingen- 15 gagement therewith is"maintained. For "instance sa p in andslot connection permitting J ,thesliding-smembers vlOeand top :and bottom plates 2 and 5. Also theinterconnecting -V mimeans between the-topandhbottomsliding 7 I a a tirecasing while itg-isain the vacuumlbox. Clamping rings ori abullringsareapplii'to f the beads of thel casi'ng thex top; platelb is 7members 10 may-be other than the'l-ug and -yoke construction-hereinabove .-d-isclosed, or theeto'p and bottom slidable members: 10vmay aloeindependentlymovable. It is to be noted 5;:thatv thei-presei' tlug and slot connection be- .tween: the ,top ian'd bottom-sliding plates10 -vpermitsuthegtopg plate 5 or vacuum box. to be i-littedssoaas toopen the-vacuumibox and to permit."thesformedtire casing to be removedtherefrom. Although the apertures 7 proavidedin thev top and-bottom;plates 2 and :5 tare norm-allyvcircirlarl-and may be so shaped in the,present ;instance,it is preferred-to. pro

v In ;the operation of the -hereinab0ve .rdisclosed; devicey a pulley'band .17 1 is inserted; throlighthe apertures Hofthe top nnd g'bot-,tom; plates of-thevacuum box an d-allowed to restiupon. the. top otpe'destal. 8. V During the :vflnsertion of i the pulley band thesli-dable plates :10 are in the position. shown in full "between thepulley band and the vacuum' box,

4 j-the slidabla-plates'f10 rare manipulated-so I as to-be move'dintocontact with the pulley-lo and 17. As the slidableplates {10 contactwith he; pulley band that side of the pulley band V :Q ppoSi-te theslidable plate T10; is thrust-1 into go' contaet-with the marginsdefiningttheapertaxes 7 Which efiects asealabetweens such martween gthroughout a a distance q sufiicient to complete the .seal around theentire circum- }I8IIG8 of the};p.ulley band. Whenthe-preor; liminaryseal has been formed: between the to vacuum -box and the; pulley band-:as} -j ust 'deascribed; an evacuating means is set jintooperationsoasto reduce the'fluid pressure within i'the vacuu'm boxtherebyfbuilding'up a .difi'erential epressure due to atmosphericpressure afifiswhichc'causeslthe pulley band to be expanded readil'yinserted-therein afid yet when th top and bottom plates 2 and 5ofthe-va'cuum .maybe repeated. it 7 1 pulley band; a" curved armpivotally mount'ediir on each ofisaidi top; and bottom plates'aiid in osealing-engagement therewithgthe' curvature and arrangement of each armbeing suchthat uponmovement-ot'the'armiintdcontactwith a pulley: band;positioned in; the-shaping box a e-120 and forced within the vacuum boxthereby shaping the same into a tire casing. The

edges of the apertures 7 form the final seal between the vacuum box andthe; pulley band as the expansion of the pulley band progrosses.Asa-will be apparent, from the above pulley-bandds thrust i a gainst themargin bounding theaperture a seal between-the pulle'yband andthe'margin will. be readily ef-- fepteda .However,. sucha seal issatisfao' torily"formed"eventhough the apertures 7 i are circular due tothe ,flexibi-lityLof thepulley ""sliding'movement may be providedbetween lif-tedso as to'openithe vacuumlboxlandlthe tire casingcontaining the islre so moved from ,the vacuum: box. fill 1e; top platei .5 may be lowered: and the' ,slid ngi.plates .10

moved. into the positi onashown I in Fig,1,whereuponw thejeycle osolperatlons V --e5 lt hile one storm ,OfLthe invention :has 'lbeen ispecificallyldescribed.andshowm itli s obvious to one skilled in the artthat--manyinodificavi debvalapertures for-1a: reason whichewill -35?appear inthe following description.

tions in the detailsof construction ,andTinatecluded within -the scopevof the following claims; k

. 7 7 Having thus described invention, what Iclaim and desir etoprotectbfLettersrPatent lines 1n Fig. 1. "In order to effectassealplates provided withr apertures to receive, at

. pulley band, acurve d arm ;slid ab1yf,mounted on each of said top andbottom platesandcin sealed engagement therewith, ,the curvatl lre andarrangement of each arm .beingsuch that uponmovementof thearrn intocontact a 1 1 V pulley. band positioned thelvacuunilboxka igins-iand'that port oniot thegpulley band in contact. therewith. The contactbetween- .the .;;mouable arms or; plates :10 extends around 1155111116gplllleycbainCl-filld forms a :sealct'herebesen isformeidl between thearm 'andla circumferential. portion of; thejpul'ley' band and betweenthemargin' ofthe' aperture andj'the remaining circumferential po'r'tionof the tween saidarms. 1

2. A- shaping box hav-ingtop an 'dF b'ottom plates provided with erm endreceive a pulley; band and ame'c'ha ni'c'al "conne'c tion' beseal isformed between the arm and a circumferential portion of the pulley bandand between the margin of the aperture and the remaining circumferentialportion of the pulley band, and a mechanical connection between saidarms.

3. A shaping box having top and bottom plates provided with apertures toreceive a pulley band, a curved arm pivotally mounted on each of saidtop and bottom plates and in sealed engagement therewith, one of saidarms having a tail piece terminating in a bifurcated portion and the.other, of said arms having a tail piece fitting insaid bifurcation, thecurvature and arrangement of each arm being such that upon movement ofthe arm into contact with a pulley band positioned in the shaping box aseal is formed between the arm and a circumferential portion of thepulley band and between the margin of the V aperture and the remainingcircumferential portion of the pulley band.

4. V A shaping box comprising top and bottom plates provided withapertures to receive a pulley band, one of said plates being hingedlymounted, a curved arm pivotally' mounted on each of said top and bottomplates and in sealed engagement therewith, a tail piece on one of saidarms extending across said box between said plates and terminating inmeans for engaging a tail piece on the other I 7 arm, and a tail pieceon said other arm oooperating with said engaging means.

5. A shaping box comprising top and bottom plates provided withapertures to receive a pulley band, one of said plates being hingedlymounted, a curved arm pivotally mounted on each of said top and bottomplates and in sealed engagement therewith, a tail piece on one of saidarms extending across said box between said plates and terminating in aof Michigan,

vbifurcated portion, and a tail piece on the other arm engaging saidbifurcated portion. Signed at Detroit, county of Wayne, State this 21stday of February, 1929.

ADRIAN O. ABBOTT, JR.

